A visiting delegation of Liberation War veterans of India is set to arrive in Dhaka Tuesday, the Bangladesh army announced. The team of Indian veterans was invited by Bangladesh chief of army staff Gen Moeen U Ahmed.

The ten-member delegation, led by Lt Gen (retd) JFR Jacob of the Indian Army, will visit Bangladesh on the occasion of the 37th Independence Day from Mar 25-31, the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate said.

They are expected to call on army chief Moeen and visit various battle sites and places of historical importance during their visit.

AL vows to join election with a free Hasina(DC) Staff Correspondent The Awami League's aim is to have its detained president Sheikh Hasina freed in a combined effort, an AL leader said Tuesday. "We aim to participate in the election together with Sheikh Hasina and form government," acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters in a news briefing on a meeting of the party's acting president Zillur Rahman with Iranian ambassador Hassan Farazandeh.

Farazandeh who met with Zillur at his Gulshan home told reporters that he had discussed the socioeconomic issues of Bangladesh and Hasina's health with AL leaders. "I hope a free, fair and neutral election will be held in Bangladesh at the end of this year," he said.

Ashraful said: "We think the government should sit with the political parties soon." The AL's front organisations are regularly arranging programmes to press home their demand for the release of the former prime minister.

Asked why the Awami League's scheduled discussion meeting on Independence Day will not being held, the AL leader said: "This is not to avoid any situation.

Two other discussions have been held this month. So the latest one has been cancelled by the acting president." "We have not yet been able to know about the condition of Sheikh Hasina. Her relatives are deeply worried too."